Wednesday, February 25, 2009

california considers $50 an oz tax on marijuana

Above: one of this months 'cream of the crop' weed porn photo competition contenders at uk420 [click on photo for larger image].

California would legalize marijuana for recreational use and charge a $50 per oz sales tax under a bill introduced on Monday.

As California teeters on the verge of bankruptcy, the 'pot tax' bill has the public backing of Betty Yee, who chairs the state Board of Equalization, which collects taxes in California. The state would collect an estimated $1.3 billion a year from tax revenues and a $50-an-ounce levy on retail sales if marijuana were legal.

The proposal would sensibly regulate marijuana like alcohol, with people over 21 years old allowed to grow, buy, sell and possess cannabis - all of which is stupidly barred by federal law.

The proposal also has the support of San Francisco's top cop Sheriff Michael Hennessey, but some pot smokers are saying a tax of $50 an oz is too high.